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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721055">line</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinfulchihuahua0602/pseuds/sinfulchihuahua0602'>sinfulchihuahua0602</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>DreamWorks Dragons (Cartoon), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angry Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Burning, Gen, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Multi, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Aftermath, Torture</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:41:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,461</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27721055</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinfulchihuahua0602/pseuds/sinfulchihuahua0602</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>At the end of One by One, the Riders don’t get to kill Viggo. Instead, months later, they capture him, and Astrid should’ve seen the anger seething in Hiccup the entire time.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astrid/Fishlegs/Hiccup/Ruffnut/Snotlout/Tuffnut, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Viggo Grimborn &amp; Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Viggo Grimborn/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>62</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>line</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/gifts">evilwriter37</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27632269">One by One</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilwriter37/pseuds/evilwriter37">evilwriter37</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>credit to evilwriter37 for this fic.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They could feel the anger radiating off of Hiccup. Even Toothless is quiet, flying well in front of the other Riders, keeping his human away from them, and the other Riders fly well behind him. Hiccup is silent, sitting up in the saddle. Astrid would’ve felt comfortable if he was tense, would’ve at least known that this is something she could talk him down from, but no. His shoulders are loose, he stares straight out at the sky, and he’s entirely still and silent, like a stone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid hates it. Snotlout and the twins are quiet, a little scared by Hiccup’s silence. Fishlegs is unsettled; if there are any words he’d use to describe Hiccup, it would be </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm. </span>
  </em>
  <span>The warmth of his smile and his kindness, the fire of his anger, the flame of his passion for dragons and for peace, the spark of his interest in knowledge and dragons and when he and Fishlegs go back and forth on an invention or a philosophy or some kind of question for hours. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But this? This is cold. This is like ice, like stone, and Fishlegs rubs Meatlug’s scales when she whines quietly, sensing the tension among the Riders. Even Dagur is silent, glancing at the Riders, who give shrugs of their shoulders and similar worried glances at Hiccup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They get back to the Edge and Hiccup lands first, dismounting quickly from Toothless and ignoring even his concerned whine as he stalks into the clubhouse. The twins and Snotlout stick close together, still shaken from what Viggo had done. Astrid and Dagur stand near the doorway, and Fishlegs on the other side of the doorway. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup leans with his hands against the table, facing away from them, head down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout are whispering to each other, conversing quietly for once, and Dagur takes some hesitant steps forward behind Hiccup. “Brother-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t call me that,” Hiccup interrupts, voice low. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dagur nods. “Okay. Hiccup.” He pauses, unsure, and then his hand reaches out to touch Hiccup’s shoulder. His shoulders tense up, hand twitching and tightening on the table. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid’s eyes flick to it and she coughs. Dagur’s head turns to her; she looks pointedly at his hand on Hiccup’s shoulder and then jerks her eyes away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dagur’s mouth opens in a silent ‘o’ and he takes his hand away. Hiccup’s shoulders don’t relax, and Astrid winces. Even she is scared of Hiccup’s anger now, wonders what Viggo did to him that made him like this. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dagur looks back at Hiccup, mouth opening, and he doesn’t get any further. Hiccup pushes himself away from the table and walks away from Dagur, stopping a few feet away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiccup,” Ruffnut says, her voice cracking, a sob working its way into it. Astrid glances over to see tears going down Ruffnut’s face, Tuffnut sitting beside her with his arms around her and his face hidden in her shoulder, presumably crying as well. Snotlout kneels next to them, staring blankly at the ground, and Fishlegs is standing nearby, looking just scared, his eyes darting around and his face a worrying shade of white. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup turns, eyes landing on Ruffnut, and suddenly the anger vanishes. His face clears, eyebrows tilting down in concern as he walks over to Ruffnut, but his body is still tense even as he starts talking in a quiet voice to her, calming her down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid and Dagur glance at each other; </span>
  <em>
    <span>did you see that? </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They each look back at Hiccup, who is nothing but warmth and concern and kindness now, and both of them know this isn’t over. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-0-0-0-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They settle back into their routine, though with a few changes. Now, it’s not only Hiccup that wakes up screaming from nightmares; all six of them do, and after one week of everyone waking up to someone’s screams resonating through the Edge, they start sleeping in the clubhouse. Tuffnut and Snotlout sleep together, almost always waking up curled around the other, with Ruffnut close nearby. Fishlegs sleeps close to Astrid, who would very much like to wake up curled around Hiccup, if he ever slept. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>For the first month, Hiccup is even more of a light sleeper than he usually is, and he goes for nightly flights on Toothless almost every night. He also wakes up whenever one of the Riders cries out in their sleep, whenever one of them sits up with a sharp gasp and a wide-eyed, panicked scramble away from whoever’s touching them. Most of the time, he’s the one holding them as they shake and cry, and neither of them talk about it when Hiccup smiles and nods, getting a weak, shaky smile in return, and both go back to uneasy sleep. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s agitated, angry, frustrated; Astrid watches him pace, and then watches the shape of Toothless disappear on the horizon and not return for hours, with Toothless tired - he never gets tired, not for fun flights with Hiccup - and Hiccup doesn’t say anything. He rubs Toothless’s scales in reassurance, dismounts and smiles at Astrid before going to his hut. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Even Toothless goes up to her one night, nuzzling at her leg and whining, and when Astrid follows him to Hiccup’s hut, she finds him lit by candlelight, still reading maps of the Dragon Eye’s markings. She can barely talk him into sleeping, and there’s a dark light in Hiccup’s eyes even as he smiles at her and nods, blowing out the candle and following her demands. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Three months pass, and the nightmares happen a little less often, and his anger fades. He smiles more, he plays with Toothless and he even rolls his eyes at the twins’ antics, a small smile twitching on his lips, instead of simply raising his eyebrow at them in cold silence. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid and Dagur are still worried, but they eventually forget about the anger, caught up in Hiccup’s new kindness and warmth and his bright smile and laugh, the slow recovery of all of them together as they start smiling and laughing too. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They don’t see the cold distance still in his eyes when they turn away, or the way his hands tighten when he’s left alone to think for too long. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-0-0-0-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He disguises it as a capture mission. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All the Riders feel relief at Viggo’s capture, and anger at him. They all want vengeance, especially Astrid, but he got the Dragon Eye in the months they couldn’t catch him and they need the information of where it is. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid should have been worried when Hiccup offered himself for first guard duty and dismissed Toothless to sleep in her hut. She should’ve known that something was off, should’ve seen the flat fire in his eyes. Not blazing, not warm, but calculating. The fire was dying, being covered by ice, and Astrid should’ve seen it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup sits on a stool in front of Viggo’s cell, staring at him with his hands folded underneath his chin and elbows resting on his thighs. The other Riders left a few minutes ago, closing the stable doors, and Viggo smirks at Hiccup. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dear Hiccup,” he starts. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m not your dear,” Hiccup replies, and there’s a cold flatness to his voice. No emotion, just quiet calm, and his face is equally as unreadable. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How’s that scar on your chest? Healing well, I hope? Wouldn’t want my work to be ruined, after all,” Viggo continues.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup smiles. “I had that burned off, actually,” he says. “Astrid did it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The first hint of surprise enters Viggo’s eyes. “You did? I didn’t think you had it in you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup smirks and stands up. “You know exactly what I had in me, Viggo.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo laughs. Hiccup only smiles flatly as he turns away, and then it fades, replaced by the same ice he’s had for months, like his emotions have been frozen over. He’s a little scared of it, but not enough to stop. Not enough to put down the metal rod from the bucket, not enough to keep it away from the pan of hot coals. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turns around with the tip of the rod glowing red-hot in his hands, seeing Viggo’s eyes flick to it as he walks towards the cell. “You have something I want, Viggo,” he says. “The location of the Dragon Eye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo looks up at him. “And what makes you think I hid it? It could be right there in my tent, sitting in plain sight.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup laughs as he enters the cell and crouches down in front of Viggo, who’s tied up kneeling with his hands behind his back. “Oh, no, I know this game. This is your game- or, it was. Now, it’s </span>
  <em>
    <span>my </span>
  </em>
  <span>game. And I want to know where you hid the Dragon Eye. Three chances, </span>
  <em>
    <span>my dear,” </span>
  </em>
  <span>he hisses the last words mockingly, a cold smile twisting his mouth. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo smiles smugly back. “You can’t torture me. You can’t even kill my Hunters. You Riders are too soft, too pure.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aren’t we?” Hiccup asks, in the same calm, cold tone of voice, and sees the first icy slither of fear enter Viggo’s eyes. The darkest part of him relishes it. “Because, you know, Viggo,” he starts conversationally, and for once, the man is silent, finally sensing the amount of danger he’s in. “Even the best people snap sometimes. I know from experience, and I-“ he gives a short laugh, “-oh, I have been angry at you for a long time. You crossed a line I didn’t know I had.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup swings the poker around. “That’s two chances.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo swallows, and there’s more fear in his eyes now. “You can’t do it. Come now, Hiccup. I wouldn’t give up the information even if you did torture me with what limited knowledge you have of it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup smiles slowly and nods. “Limited knowledge?” he asks, and stares up at the ceiling as if thinking. “The thing that comes with having so many of your enemies be interested in you is that you actually learn a lot about torture. Firsthand experience is the best experience, after all, and even if I don’t get the information, making you hurt can only be a good thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Your friends wouldn’t agree with you,” Viggo says, as a desperate attempt to save himself from the ice in Hiccup’s eyes and voice. “And what happened to being better than people like me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup laughs. “That’s how you’re appealing to me? </span>
  <em>
    <span>You </span>
  </em>
  <span>fucked that up, Viggo. When you captured me and my friends on that ship and then </span>
  <em>
    <span>broke </span>
  </em>
  <span>them all.” The first real emotion enters Hiccup’s eyes, but it only stokes the fire. “Do you know how many nights I held them when they woke up screaming? The crack in Ruffnut’s voice, how Tuffnut even ignored that chicken of his?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ridiculous,” Viggo cuts in, and Hiccup doesn’t think. His vision flashes red, and suddenly the poker is stabbing into Viggo’s shoulder and he’s screaming. Hiccup glances at the poker, something cracking inside him, then at Viggo, whose eyes are wide as he yells and cries out and grits his teeth against the pain. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup pulls the poker away, leaving Viggo gasping, and he stares at the hot tip of it. Something’s wrong inside him, this feels wrong, he shouldn’t be doing this. He shouldn’t relish in Viggo’s screams, shouldn’t want to do it again and make a matching burn mark on Viggo’s shoulder. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The wrongness is quickly covered by ice, though, the cracks filled in, and Hiccup’s eyes snap to Viggo’s. “It’s not ridiculous,” he says sharply. “It makes Tuffnut happy, and if he wants to talk to a chicken, he can talk to a damn chicken.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He stands up, leaving the cell and going to put the poker back. “What if I carved my initial into your chest, Viggo?” he asks, voice calm and cold again. “Or I could use Berk’s seal. I was put in charge of making a brand of Berk’s seal, just to burn into crates and other things.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You would brand me?” Viggo asks, a hint of surprise and nervousness in his voice</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve never been like this before, so cold and unfeeling. Is this what it’s like for you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo doesn’t respond. Hiccup picks up the poker again and sticks it in the coals, walking over to Viggo’s cell. “Astrid changed, too,” he says idly. “She flinches at every touch now, can’t stand having anything anywhere near her ass even more than before. None of us can fuck her from behind. Ruffnut is the same way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup presses the poker to Viggo’s other shoulder, and he grits his teeth for a long moment, until he breaks and yells. The yell builds into a scream the longer Hiccup holds it there, and he finally pulls it away. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He meets Viggo’s eyes, the emerald green blazing with heat. “You’re getting one for each of them. One for each of my friends who </span>
  <em>
    <span>you weren’t supposed to touch.”</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-0-0-0-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid wakes to screaming. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At first, she thinks it’s one of the Riders, but she leaves her hut and they’re all coming out as well, looking around frantically. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>All except for Hiccup, who’s on-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Guard duty. For Viggo. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Fuck. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They all rush to the stables, hearing Viggo’s screams echoing inside, pushing the doors open. The screams cut off as Hiccup looks up from where he’s crouched beside Viggo, a glowing red poker in his hand. </span>
</p><p> </p><p><span>Astrid and Dagur glance at each other, remembering when they’d gotten back months ago from </span><em><span>the</span></em> <em><span>incident. </span></em><span>Hiccup had been angry, and then he hadn’t. She should’ve </span><em><span>known. </span></em></p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>know, and she </span>
  <em>
    <span>ignored </span>
  </em>
  <span>it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She walks closer to Hiccup, almost inside the cell, glancing at the five burn marks on Viggo’s chest, and for the first time, she’s a little scared of Hiccup and the flat look in his eyes when he looks up at her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiccup, what are you doing?” she asks tentatively. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks at the poker, brow creasing and a small frown forming. Some lucidity enters his eyes. “I…” he trails off, horror slowly building on his face. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you, Hiccup,” Viggo rasps, voice rough from screaming, and Hiccup’s face shuts down, going flat again. His head snaps up to look at Viggo, meeting his eyes, and he stabs the poker hard into his stomach until Viggo’s head bows in his screams. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hiccup!” Astrid says sharply. Hiccup flinches and drops the poker, standing up and stumbling backwards, his eyes wide and a wild look in them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He looks at Astrid, who’s as horrified as he is. “I’m sorry,” he blurts quietly, and he feels the ice crack, revealing all the other cracks that had been made during his talk, when he recounted how each of his friends had changed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He feels tears sting at his eyes and a few trail down his cheek. “I didn’t- it just-“ he cuts off, words stilted and voice cracking. There’s fear in his eyes, along with horror. Horror at what he did, fear at what his friends will do. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid glances back at the Riders, who look as shocked as she is, and then back at Hiccup. “Why don’t you- go outside,” she says, her mind racing as she’s thoroughly disoriented with the entire situation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup nods jerkily and walks outside, not looking at the Riders. Astrid watches him leave and then looks back at Viggo, who is groaning in pain and is very close to dying with the poker still stabbed in his stomach. “Okay, uh- Tuffnut, go get cold water. Ruffnut, go with him, get bandages. Fishlegs, get the medical book you have and whatever salves you’ve made for burns. Snotlout-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She stops, not having a job for Snotlout, and looks up at him, eyes wide. He nods wordlessly, walking forward, standing beside her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Viggo is quiet, head down as he breathes through the pain. “Gods,” Astrid whispers. “What </span>
  <em>
    <span>happened</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Snotlout shakes his head a little, and for once, Astrid takes comfort in his presence. His not being an idiot helps. “Viggo must’ve done something to Hiccup,” he replies. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What could he have possibly done other than what he did when- on </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>day? He hasn’t been able to move!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Before, then,” Snotlout says, and Astrid’s eyes flick up to him in horror. “Viggo did something to Hiccup before. No one has that kind of reaction for only one occasion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid turns to see the rest of the Riders walking in with the supplies, and she looks at Snotlout. He nods again, turning to the rest of the Riders to give them instructions, and she meets Dagur’s eyes, hearing him follow as she walks out of the stables. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She looks around, finding Hiccup sitting against the wall off to her right, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. He’s staring off into the distance, and when her and Dagur come closer he looks at them and his eyes are red with tears, cheeks streaked with them. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” he says when they get close enough and crouch down, still giving him a little space even as they do. “I don’t know what happened- I just, I couldn’t feel anything, and- I- I liked it, I think? Hearing Viggo scream. It- it was satisfying, in some- some weird, cruel way-“</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid shushes him and he cuts off abruptly, glancing down at his knees. “I just want to know why, Hiccup,” she says, as softly as she can. “Why are you so angry at him? What made you do </span>
  <em>
    <span>this, </span>
  </em>
  <span>of all things?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s silent for a long moment, and Astrid almost thinks he isn’t going to respond, but then his voice comes, quiet and barely audible. “He wasn’t supposed to touch you all,” he starts. Astrid feels a cold sense of horror rise inside her. “He wanted me, and he had me. That- that wasn’t the first time, on that ship. Not for me. He- he told me- he told me that he didn’t care about any of you, as long as he had me. So I gave him me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup’s voice cracks, and Astrid feels her own rage rising inside of her, at Viggo. “He promised he wouldn’t touch any of you. I- I let him- I let him </span>
  <em>
    <span>do things </span>
  </em>
  <span>to me, if only to keep him away from the rest of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup’s trembling slightly now, hands curling into fists, and Astrid and Dagur share a worried glance. “He </span>
  <em>
    <span>broke </span>
  </em>
  <span>his promise,” he says in a low voice. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid puts one arm around him, and he tenses before leaning into it, his trembling breaking with a full-body slump into her. He starts shaking, burying his face into her shirt, crying freely now. Astrid rubs one hand on his back, wondering just how much she’d been missing and how much Hiccup had been holding back. Of all the nightmares she’s comforted him from, he hasn’t cried like this from any of them, and this feels like an accumulation of things, a wave breaking. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid looks up at Dagur. “You get the others,” she mouths silently. “Kill Viggo.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He frowns, raising an eyebrow in question. She glares and looks pointedly down at Hiccup - she’s done trying to get information from Viggo. She’d rather he be dead and them have to launch a full attack to get the Dragon Eye than already know where it is and risk having to torture him, or have him escape. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Dagur nods, glancing worriedly at Hiccup before standing and walking into the stables, shutting the door and leaving them alone in the darkness. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astrid pulls Hiccup up slightly. “Let’s go to my hut,” she whispers. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup’s sobs are silent, his body still shaking, and he nods. His breaths even out after a while, Astrid still rubbing his back, and she slowly guides him into standing up, letting him lean on her as they walk back, one arm around his waist. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Toothless follows them, a quiet shadow, sensing that Hiccup needs the comfort of Astrid and only Astrid right now. He curls up in the corner when they get back to her hut, green eyes glowing as he watches Hiccup worriedly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hiccup curls into her when she wraps her arms around him and pulls him close, burying his face into her shirt and tangling her legs with his. She feels him relax, feels his breathing even out slowly, but she still stares with wide eyes at the wall, in shock from this whole night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Astrid,” Hiccup mumbles quietly a few moments later. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Promise me you won’t let me do that again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She closes her eyes and feels a few stray tears fall, rubbing his back. “I won’t, Hiccup. I won’t let you do that again.”</span>
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